Those of us who live for dim sum have long known that some of the best of the best are found at the decidedly elegant Lunasia on Main Street in Alhambra. It’s an upscale Chinese seafood restaurant that offers dumplings and more dumplings as a l...

The very tasty Pho Ngoon, in a busy mini-mall at the northwest corner of Valley and San Gabriel boulevards in San Gabriel, is an unusual Vietnamese restaurant on a number of levels. First of all, it may have the smallest menu of any Vietnamese ...

Restaurant operators

West Covina might need to choose between a strip club and the popular Cuban restaurant Porto’s Bakery & Cafe. Those are the options on the table for the Crazy Horse property between West Covina’s family-friendly mall and city hall. Porto’s Bakery & Cafe — which has locations in Downey, Glendale and Burbank — is in escrow to buy the land, but delays in an agreement with the city could leave it open for a strip club instead. The city...

Food

Soup — the underrated meal that can be thick and creamy, hot or cold, light or meaty. It’s a dish with many flavors and backgrounds. While January was National Soup Month, it got us thinking about where to find the best soups in the Los Angeles area. So with that in mind, here is a list of various soups and the best place to find them in the area. Chicken soup El Nopal, 10426 National Blvd., Los Angeles; 310-559-4732;

Reviews

Forkin Good Cafe is a much-needed destination for locals. It’s a cafe where Whittierites congregate, and everyone seems to know everyone else. But it’s also a bit of a work-in-progress; there are lots of rough edges. Still, overall, the neighborhood vibe transcends the issues — as long as you’re patient. At lunch recently, there was one young lady behind the counter. There were six diners at the mismatched tables, some of which wobble on the concrete floor.

Food

Super Bowl Sunday is upon us and what better way to get into the spirit of the game than with food? Various bars and restaurants around the Los Angeles area will be opening their doors for football fans to gather and enjoy some grub with the game. Brix at the Shore in Long Beach will be serving up an all-you-can-eat and drink menu. Patrons can choose from sweet potato fries, bruschetta, flatbreads, wine, craft beer and more. Blue Plate Oysterette’s new Los Angeles...

Reality TV

San Pedro native Dustin Trani, chef-owner of Doma Beverly Hills, felt the heat in the kitchen in an Italian food cook-off and became the first Los Angeles restaurateur to vie for the title of “Best New Restaurant” in America. And here comes the spoiler if you haven’t watched the Bravo show, which premiered Jan. 21: despite rave comments about Doma’s food, it wasn’t enough for victory. Doma was the first Los Angeles restaurant to be eliminated...

Reviews

Restaurateur Michael Cardenas is one of the driving forces behind such iconic Japanese restaurants as Sushi Roku, Katana, Toranoko, Fat Spoon and Sushi Akatora, along with the Lazy Ox, BOA Steakhouse, Rivabella, Taberna Arros y Vi and more. He’s a graduate of the Benihana Chef School in New Orleans, which would not seem to have prepared him for the impressive array of upscale eateries he’s opened — except that in much the same way that Benihana mixes food with a show,...

Dining

Winter is upon us and dineLA Restaurant Week is back to heat things up for local foodies. The 14-day event will highlight some of Los Angeles’ best restaurants with specially priced lunch and dinner menus ranging from $15-$50. In the South Bay, Abigaile will be serving a Vietnamese pho poached organic chicken salad, escargot poppers, poutine, Moroccan lamb kibbeh and Snickers bars, while Shore Public House in Long Beach plans to serve crispy brussel sprouts, pan seared...

Fast food restaurant operators

DOWNEY >> The Firestone Boulevard building that once housed the world’s first-ever Taco Bell building is now vacant, and a local preservationist group may need help to avoid a date between the building and a wrecking crew. “Our concern is, it being a vacant building on a very large piece of land, then it could possibly have a bulldozer (coming through),” said George Redfox of the Downey...

Reviews

There are certain styles and rituals endemic to the teahouses of Hong Kong that stand in stark contrast to the rituals of the dim sum houses of Los Angeles. While most teahouses in America are open only from about 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., the hours in Hong Kong begin at around 6 a.m. and continue until late afternoon. In Los Angeles you rarely have a choice of more than one type of tea, while in Hong Kong it’s rare to be offered fewer than five. And the tea is served in a very...